Today was the first race of a brand new CX series here in the Seattle area, an offshoot of the old Seattle CX series. Located at the beach of Silver Lake, this course was very similar to the MFG course from last year. Temperatures were again high (mid-80s) to continue our string of summer-cross races. I was feeling great after the rough race last weekend and was ready to stretch my legs in the new series.
As I mentioned, the course was similar to last year's MFG event. Starting on the asphalt near the beach, we went south before a a sweeping asphalt corner left into an immediate 180 on grass. The next few sweeping corners and 180s worked through some bouncy grass before we climbed up the hillside. A left around the barn at the top of the hill sent you into a singletrack wooded section. Next a tight s-curve took us into a straightaway past the pits before a series of off-camber downhill corners.
At the base of the hill we shot into the beach for the first section of sand. Along this route of sand there were 3 drainage channels that interrupted the flow. After the sand we worked our way up the hill on the north edge of the park. A log along the course forced a dismount before an asphalt climb to the top. Once the summit was reached, the course transitioned into a flowing singletrack section that wound its way back down to the beach for a longer stretch back to the southern end of the park. The entry to this section was very loose and required keeping a flow and working through the sand. After the loose start the sand firmed up and it was easier to power through. From here the course worked back up the southern hill and into a barrier/run-up before another series of winding off-camber switchbacks rolled the race back to the asphalt start-finish.
I started the race with a second-row position and managed to stay toward the front into the first corner. As we worked through the first section of the course I moved up a few spots, which was helpful heading into the single-track section. I continued to power through the first lap and moved into 8th place for the start of lap 2. I continued to chase toward the leaders as we tore up the course. A rider up ahead bumbled in the north-end of the course and I squeezed past him to move into 7th place. I held this position for the entire 3rd lap and was building a decent gap on the riders behind me, chasing the rabbit of the rider who was just up the road.
Lap 4 was the start of trouble. Heading toward the north section through the sand I accidentally caught the sharp edge of one of the drainage lines. The sharp impact burped out some of the air from my front tire, but luckily it sealed up again and I was able to continue racing along. I was careful to be a bit more cautious as I worked through the singletrack and back to the beach. I worked past the loose initial section but ended up on the wrong side of the course tape (due to another rider crashing in the sand earlier). As I made my way back to the correct section, the rider who was behind me came racing past. I was immediately energized to chase him down. As we worked through the southern hill section I was gaining back the lost ground. I was breathing down the racer's back as we made the last few corners toward the start-finish. As we made the last corner I caught a root and it was enough to end the hold of my tire to the rim - burp!
Since I didn't have a pit-bike or spare wheels at the race, my race was over. I was definitely disappointed, especially because I was in 8th place and was getting so close to being in 7th again. The next racer was seconds behind, so I was almost guaranteed to top-10 - even better since Silverlake is a race I usually don't do well. So, a mixed blessing of doing well and the disappointment of the mechanical DNF. Next weekend will be the second race of the MFG series and will be at Steilacoom (a race that I do well at), so I will be amped to perform there. Check back for the result
Bike Racing, Fit Science, and Physical Therapy
Showing posts with label Cyclocross. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cyclocross. Show all posts
September 21, 2014
September 16, 2014
Starcrossed 2014
I arrived early to the event to ensure plenty of course recon and pre-ride time. It was a hot day (upper 80s) but since we raced at 8pm, the temperature would luckily drop a little by then. The course was very similar to previous editions of the race, featuring a mixture of tight hairpins and longer straights the cut through and around the Marymoor velodrome in Redmond. Also, as usual for this race, the ground was hard, rutted, and dusty.
The starting chute had been relocated to the backside of the course and dumped you into the dirt access road along the back of the velodrome. From here the course shot over a rough section of grass before a corner along the fence and out toward the front along another rough section. At the end of the straight the course popped over a small raise before a 90-degree turn to the left and another sprint over bumpy grass. This sprint ended with a small gravel/asphalt section that cut through the fence and a 180 to sprint back out toward the highway. A 90-degree left threw you in a straight heading right for one of the night spot-lights before a 180 and back toward the fence. Here an off-camber 90-degree right led into a long bouncy stretch along the team tents before a 180 and into the velodrome park again. A small climb up the embankment of the velodrome before a drop down the hill and a sharp 90-degree left up the hill over a series of log barriers. At the top of the logs it was immediately back on the bike and down the hill into a washed-out 90-degree left along with the entrance to the pits. Powering along the side of the velodrome, we would then race to the back entrance to the track and dump into the infield. A series of winding corners would trace along the infield before the finish-line sprint (very bouncy). After the line, the course hooked left and then right and shot the racers onto the velodrome track to race toward the front of the course. A tight right turn to reenter the infield before a sharp right and a straight into the beer-garden barriers. The sandy exit from the barriers led to the front track entry and we were back out of the velodrome. A few winding corners took us up and down the velodrome hill a few times before sprinting along the back grounds to the other entry of the pits. Here it was another 180 corner and then a short dusty sprint back to the access road to begin again.
After a few pre-ride laps of the course, I definitely was remembering last year and how the course starts to wear you down. My legs were feeling strong and I was ready to race, however the ladies would have the course first. I spent my time warming up more, making sure I was hydrated and fueled, and psyched up for the hour of racing ahead of me. As I expected, the temperature started to drop as the sun went behind the horizon and darkness rolled in. My field began to line up outside the course, and it was again impressive to be part of a race featuring big names like Carl Decker (Giant Factory Racing), Zach McDonald (KCCX Elite Cyclocross), Barry Wicks and Spencer Paxson (Kona), Russell Stevenson (2013 35+ World CX Champion), and even Oregon framebuilder Ira Ryan. Since I am not a Pro or Cat 1 racer, I was happy with my 4th row starting position.
At the gun, we were off. I had a good start and moved past some of the other racers in my area as we wrapped along the back of the course. We continued to haul ass along the course for the entire first lap, people battling for positions and working through the field of racers. I was definitely feeling fast and was rubbing elbows with some big racers. Even though I was running low pressure (~22psi) in my tires, and riding a titanium bike (which theoretically imparts some vibration relief), the course was bouncy and rough. The dust, which in the past has been near-blinding in some areas, was relatively light for our race, and I only really thought about it being dusty on the lead into the dirt access road that formed the back straightaway.
The race started to fall apart on the 3rd lap, as the leaders broke free to form a crazy battle upfront for the huge prize. I continued to lay it out and managed to stay in the "main" group, roughly the 3rd bunch on the course. We were hustling to keep up the pace and make sure the riders behind us were struggling to keep in-sight. I was feeling strong and we continued at this pace for a few more laps, trading blows and slowly pulling further from the racers behind us.
With a few laps to go I started to feel the fatigue. I could definitely tell that our group was slowing down and we started to make little mistakes. I dropped my chain by the pits and had to sprint back on, a racer unclipped mid-corner slowing everyone behind him, another rider slid out too far in a corner and caused some more slowing. I managed to clear some of the riders who fell out of power early, and managed to hold tough for a little longer. With about 2 laps to go, a racer strongly passed me, lighting a fire to chase him. I managed to do well holding him in for that lap, but starting the final lap my legs were feeling leaden. Heading toward the front of the course I was passed by another racer who I often benchmark off. I was disappointed that he got around me and that I was too gassed to chase him back. I just kept churning along to keep him in-sight and managed to finish slightly behind him, ending the race in 20th place of 30 finishers (9 DNFS). Given the mixture of the field, I am pretty happy with the result and hope to continue the season moving forward. Thanks to all the folks out there supporting me, and look forward to bringing in the big results for the rest of the races.
See you next week for Cross Revolutions #1 at Silver Lake.
September 9, 2014
MFG 2014 #1 - Lake Sammamish
Well, here we are. The 2014 CX season has begun and I am again racing the best of the NW in the Elite category. Unlike the usual MFG starter at Big Finn Hill park in Juanita, we instead begin the season along the beautiful Lake Sammamish in Issaquah. A wonderful Summer spilled into the weekend with bright sunny skies and temperatures rising into the mid-high 80s - definitely feels like Summer-cross to me!
With some construction in the park, the MFG crew chose to mix things up with an entirely new course with the added twist of running the opposite direction of the past editions. This lead to an entirely new course feel, although the running along the beaches retained the leg-sapping efficiency of earlier years. Utilizing the sporadic trees, rutted and bumpy grass fields, and three stretches of sand, the course was an ideal mix of technical maneuvering, power, and running finesse.
Our Elite race began at the end of the day, ensuring that the sand was hardly ride-able and the looser off-camber sections were torn-up and rut-filled. Under the Summer heat, we lined up for the next hour of pain. I was lucky to receive a random call-up to start in the front row - a great way to start the season since it would mean less traffic in the early corners. As the whistle blew I clipped in and started to sprint down the stretch, only to have my starting foot pop loose (looks like it is time to tighten those pedal-releases)! I managed to clip in and get charging again, however I was now mixing it up at the back of the pack - so much for that call-up...
Diving into the first corners, I worked my way past some racers and tried to move to the front of the race. As we hit the first section of sand I was able to quickly navigate the winding riders and move up further. This happened again shortly after during the second sand stretch which occurred almost immediately afterward. I then powered through the winding course as it negotiated the trees and off-camber hills on the way toward the beach. Running along the 3rd section of sand was guaranteed for all racers due to the sharp hairpin entry and churned, loose sand. This section of beach was also the longest and left you drained by the end. I made up a few more spots here before we turned back into the trees and shot back toward the main part of the park. Flying out of the trees into a bumpy section of grass, we passed the pits and make a 180 to enter the double barriers before another 180. I was making up ground and could see the leaders just ahead! A few more bumpy stretches and corners lead to the pavement for a drag-race through the start/finish and begin the next lap.
Our laps were taking ~6 minutes, so we would end up completing 9 laps of the course. I managed to move up a little more over the next two laps before getting caught in complete no-man's-land and then getting caught by two racers behind me. We worked together for the next few laps, taking turns of ripping each others legs off as we raced along. This continued until lap 7 when I became unglued and began to yo-yo off the back. I managed to catch back on before lap 8 and then fall off again during the start of that lap. However, one of the riders messed up a corner and I then flew passed him. I was now chasing after the other rider (Mike Dicenso) and trying to catch his tail.
As we entered the final lap, I was feeling drained from the heat and exertion, however there were only a few minutes of pain left - leave it all on the course! I powered along the course toward the fleeting figure up the road. I managed to pass another rider who was completely burned-out along the final sand section and felt like I was making great progress. Back out into the main field and I flew into the barriers a final time. I had a mounting hiccup and ran wider than I usually did, figuring it wouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately, another rider had caught up to me and used the bumble as a perfect opportunity to pass. I immediately noticed the blunder and powered along to hold his wheel. With only a minute of racing left I was struggling to hold on and once we hit the pavement and he was still leading I knew I wasn't going to catch him for this race. We screamed down the pavement and finished the first CX race of the season. My official finishing placing - 9th (3 minutes behind the 2 leaders of the race) of the 22 starters. Not a terrible way to start the season since that was my overall best placement in a race last season and here I was starting there.
After some water (boy that was a hot race!) and cooling down, it was nice to chat with some of my competitors and look forward to a great season of racing. I was very happy with how my new On-One Pickenflick handled the course. The titanium frame was light for the long portaging across the sand, stiff under the continual accelerations, and comfortable over the rough and bumpy course. I guess the awesome Shimano Di2 and hydraulics couldn't have hurt the performance either!
Next weekend is the big Starcrossed race, with the Elite race beginning at 8pm! That should be fun as the night race is always a crazy affair. See you then.
With some construction in the park, the MFG crew chose to mix things up with an entirely new course with the added twist of running the opposite direction of the past editions. This lead to an entirely new course feel, although the running along the beaches retained the leg-sapping efficiency of earlier years. Utilizing the sporadic trees, rutted and bumpy grass fields, and three stretches of sand, the course was an ideal mix of technical maneuvering, power, and running finesse.
Our Elite race began at the end of the day, ensuring that the sand was hardly ride-able and the looser off-camber sections were torn-up and rut-filled. Under the Summer heat, we lined up for the next hour of pain. I was lucky to receive a random call-up to start in the front row - a great way to start the season since it would mean less traffic in the early corners. As the whistle blew I clipped in and started to sprint down the stretch, only to have my starting foot pop loose (looks like it is time to tighten those pedal-releases)! I managed to clip in and get charging again, however I was now mixing it up at the back of the pack - so much for that call-up...
Diving into the first corners, I worked my way past some racers and tried to move to the front of the race. As we hit the first section of sand I was able to quickly navigate the winding riders and move up further. This happened again shortly after during the second sand stretch which occurred almost immediately afterward. I then powered through the winding course as it negotiated the trees and off-camber hills on the way toward the beach. Running along the 3rd section of sand was guaranteed for all racers due to the sharp hairpin entry and churned, loose sand. This section of beach was also the longest and left you drained by the end. I made up a few more spots here before we turned back into the trees and shot back toward the main part of the park. Flying out of the trees into a bumpy section of grass, we passed the pits and make a 180 to enter the double barriers before another 180. I was making up ground and could see the leaders just ahead! A few more bumpy stretches and corners lead to the pavement for a drag-race through the start/finish and begin the next lap.
Our laps were taking ~6 minutes, so we would end up completing 9 laps of the course. I managed to move up a little more over the next two laps before getting caught in complete no-man's-land and then getting caught by two racers behind me. We worked together for the next few laps, taking turns of ripping each others legs off as we raced along. This continued until lap 7 when I became unglued and began to yo-yo off the back. I managed to catch back on before lap 8 and then fall off again during the start of that lap. However, one of the riders messed up a corner and I then flew passed him. I was now chasing after the other rider (Mike Dicenso) and trying to catch his tail.
As we entered the final lap, I was feeling drained from the heat and exertion, however there were only a few minutes of pain left - leave it all on the course! I powered along the course toward the fleeting figure up the road. I managed to pass another rider who was completely burned-out along the final sand section and felt like I was making great progress. Back out into the main field and I flew into the barriers a final time. I had a mounting hiccup and ran wider than I usually did, figuring it wouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately, another rider had caught up to me and used the bumble as a perfect opportunity to pass. I immediately noticed the blunder and powered along to hold his wheel. With only a minute of racing left I was struggling to hold on and once we hit the pavement and he was still leading I knew I wasn't going to catch him for this race. We screamed down the pavement and finished the first CX race of the season. My official finishing placing - 9th (3 minutes behind the 2 leaders of the race) of the 22 starters. Not a terrible way to start the season since that was my overall best placement in a race last season and here I was starting there.
After some water (boy that was a hot race!) and cooling down, it was nice to chat with some of my competitors and look forward to a great season of racing. I was very happy with how my new On-One Pickenflick handled the course. The titanium frame was light for the long portaging across the sand, stiff under the continual accelerations, and comfortable over the rough and bumpy course. I guess the awesome Shimano Di2 and hydraulics couldn't have hurt the performance either!
Next weekend is the big Starcrossed race, with the Elite race beginning at 8pm! That should be fun as the night race is always a crazy affair. See you then.
June 24, 2014
On-One Pickenflick
Alright, now that I have had time to adjust position and put in some miles, I am ready to lift the curtain and reveal my new cyclocross bike, my primary race rig for the 2014 season. After spending much of last season adjusting to the BARON, I finally decided it just wasn't the right fit for my racing needs. It was a beautiful and lightweight steel racing machine, but something about the geometry and position compared to my Independent Fabrication Planet X made for never really feeling quite right. At the end of the season I knew I would be looking for a new race machine to pilot for 2014 (and hopefully to an even better season).
As many cyclocross racers know, last year was a big revolution in the CX world as the UCI and bike manufacturers finally embraced disc brakes in a big way, and the results on disc-equipped bikes kept rolling in. I have been riding a winter/commuter with cable-driven Avid BB7 brakes for a few years, so I knew about the benefits and downsides of the systems: improved braking performance under all weather conditions, more clearance for fenders (or mud!), as well as issues like increased weight and brake noise due to the pad tolerances. The weight issue was originally a deal-breaker for me, since I (like many racers) didn't see a need for the increased brake strength. After the news of many adventurous disc-adopters having braking issues at the 2012/13 US nationals, I figured it would definitely be a few years before I would try to race on a disc setup. This all started to change right before (and during) race season in 2013. Shimano and SRAM were both launching hydraulic systems for CX use (modifying the successful systems they offer to the mountain bike crowds to work with drop-bars and road shifters). These systems would cut weight from a full-length cable-driven system and offer better modulation and rotor-pad clearance. With these changes, racers were noticing that they could brake later, and as such be faster around the course than a lighter canti-equipped bike.
Back to my bike hunt, I was now thinking that disc brakes might be an option. I began by looking into the common bikes, but after all my experience with steel bikes, I knew that I preferred that ride-quality to the harsher efficiency that I experienced with aluminum frames. Carbon bikes are definitely the best way to get a lightweight machine, and I started looking in this route. After some research and reading of reviews, I became interested in the On-One Dirty-Disco - a no-fuss frame from a company that has been doing the direct-to-customer deal for a number of years. On-One is part of the Planet-X family and distributed in the US out of Portland (something nice to know as it means they are close if I need anything). As I did more research on the bikes, I came across the blog of a Mr Alan Dorrington (CrossJunkie) who races for Planet-X/On-One over in England. Reading the blog, I came across the prototype titanium bike that On-One was developing. Immediately I became intrigued in this bike, the Pickenflick. It seemed to check all the boxes for a bike that would excel in the racing conditions we face out here in the Pacific Northwest (mud!). It features a lightweight titanium frame, massive clearance, and shaped tubing to aid in power-delivery as well as portaging.
Now that I was thoroughly interested, I began searching for more information on this machine. Due to the relatively small production run and recency of its release, there was surprisingly little online about the bike. After pouring over the CrossJunkie blog more, I reached out the the folks at Planet-X USA for more information. Brandon, their head of customer service, was great to deal with and we began discussing a custom Di2 bike they had built up for SeaOtter earlier this year. I met Brandon when they came up for the Evergreen Bike Alliance event at Duthie Hill. We talked more about the company, racing, and their line-up (which also includes Titus Titanium bikes) We hadn't finalized everything on the Pickenflick, so I couldn't ride away with it that day, however it arrived nicely boxed up just a few days later (see my earlier teaser post to see the awesome packing job).
I have now done some sizing adjustments and a few little trail rides around my house to get the bike fitted out and sort out any other quirks. While I haven't had a chance to put it through any all-out racing experience, I have laid out some power to get a feel for how the Pickenflick will handle the racing this Fall/Winter. Needless to say, I am very happy with everything. The massive chainstays transfer the power without any needless flex, though the chainstay/seatstays still absorb some of the bumps just as you expect from a steel or titanium bike. The head-tube is sculpted beautifully to handle the custom full-carbon tapered fork (which has plenty of clearance for any kind of mud I can throw at it). The top-tube is nicely ovalized to reduce pressure on your shoulder during portage (nicely tested with a few series of stairs I run up on my CX training route). The down-tube is also sculpted to enhance front-end stiffness and aid in pick-up, much like Specialized does on their Crux bikes.
The bike offers bottle mounts for 2 bottles (good for longer training rides), however it is aimed at race performance and so it skips add-ons like fender and rack mounts (who wants those on a race bike anyhow!). On-One designed the bike around a mountain bike 2x crankset, however the 36/46 on my bike fits without issue (so there is no reason to be alarmed by that notice). Mr. Dorrington said he uses the lower gearing for some of the longer trail-race events that are held in England, but some users might be interested in that gear spread to give the bike a double-duty use as a light mountain bike. Enough of me rambling on, lets check out the bike:
Now I just need to keep riding this machine and enjoying it. The R785 Di2 Ultegra system is great (I enjoyed Di2 so much in the past that I have both of my road bikes running the 10-speed version, and so far the new 11-speed is equally amazing) and offers precision shifting without the worry about missing the timing or shifting under load. The system is coupled to Shimano's 160mm ice-tech rotors, which have proven to brake smoothly and reliably in the face of all the conditions I have put them through so far (and due to the hydraulic system, no ting-ting of rotor contact on the pads under hard sprinting or climbing). My bike is rolling on a set of DT Swiss 29er wheels, and though they are a tad overbuilt for CX racing, they are very stiff and responsive, allowing quick acceleration and steering response. I plan to put more miles on this machine quickly and should have a nice follow-up before CX season, but right now I see no reason to not grab one of these immediately if you are looking for a new race machine for the years ahead.
As many cyclocross racers know, last year was a big revolution in the CX world as the UCI and bike manufacturers finally embraced disc brakes in a big way, and the results on disc-equipped bikes kept rolling in. I have been riding a winter/commuter with cable-driven Avid BB7 brakes for a few years, so I knew about the benefits and downsides of the systems: improved braking performance under all weather conditions, more clearance for fenders (or mud!), as well as issues like increased weight and brake noise due to the pad tolerances. The weight issue was originally a deal-breaker for me, since I (like many racers) didn't see a need for the increased brake strength. After the news of many adventurous disc-adopters having braking issues at the 2012/13 US nationals, I figured it would definitely be a few years before I would try to race on a disc setup. This all started to change right before (and during) race season in 2013. Shimano and SRAM were both launching hydraulic systems for CX use (modifying the successful systems they offer to the mountain bike crowds to work with drop-bars and road shifters). These systems would cut weight from a full-length cable-driven system and offer better modulation and rotor-pad clearance. With these changes, racers were noticing that they could brake later, and as such be faster around the course than a lighter canti-equipped bike.
Back to my bike hunt, I was now thinking that disc brakes might be an option. I began by looking into the common bikes, but after all my experience with steel bikes, I knew that I preferred that ride-quality to the harsher efficiency that I experienced with aluminum frames. Carbon bikes are definitely the best way to get a lightweight machine, and I started looking in this route. After some research and reading of reviews, I became interested in the On-One Dirty-Disco - a no-fuss frame from a company that has been doing the direct-to-customer deal for a number of years. On-One is part of the Planet-X family and distributed in the US out of Portland (something nice to know as it means they are close if I need anything). As I did more research on the bikes, I came across the blog of a Mr Alan Dorrington (CrossJunkie) who races for Planet-X/On-One over in England. Reading the blog, I came across the prototype titanium bike that On-One was developing. Immediately I became intrigued in this bike, the Pickenflick. It seemed to check all the boxes for a bike that would excel in the racing conditions we face out here in the Pacific Northwest (mud!). It features a lightweight titanium frame, massive clearance, and shaped tubing to aid in power-delivery as well as portaging.
Now that I was thoroughly interested, I began searching for more information on this machine. Due to the relatively small production run and recency of its release, there was surprisingly little online about the bike. After pouring over the CrossJunkie blog more, I reached out the the folks at Planet-X USA for more information. Brandon, their head of customer service, was great to deal with and we began discussing a custom Di2 bike they had built up for SeaOtter earlier this year. I met Brandon when they came up for the Evergreen Bike Alliance event at Duthie Hill. We talked more about the company, racing, and their line-up (which also includes Titus Titanium bikes) We hadn't finalized everything on the Pickenflick, so I couldn't ride away with it that day, however it arrived nicely boxed up just a few days later (see my earlier teaser post to see the awesome packing job).
The bike offers bottle mounts for 2 bottles (good for longer training rides), however it is aimed at race performance and so it skips add-ons like fender and rack mounts (who wants those on a race bike anyhow!). On-One designed the bike around a mountain bike 2x crankset, however the 36/46 on my bike fits without issue (so there is no reason to be alarmed by that notice). Mr. Dorrington said he uses the lower gearing for some of the longer trail-race events that are held in England, but some users might be interested in that gear spread to give the bike a double-duty use as a light mountain bike. Enough of me rambling on, lets check out the bike:
Close-up of the welds (all done by hand) and the sculpted head-tube and down-tube junction.
Clearance to spare in the rear and clean routing for the hydraulic lines.
Sculpted head-tube and the massive clearance on the full-carbon fork.
Good clearance around the chainstays and stiffening bridge.
Rear brake mount and support truss to aid in braking performance of the rear end.
Slick cable routing on the front fork keeps the lines out of harm's way.
The Shimano R785 brake/shifter features a taller body, roughly the same size as the Dura-Ace 7800 shifters (although with better ergonomics).
Now I just need to keep riding this machine and enjoying it. The R785 Di2 Ultegra system is great (I enjoyed Di2 so much in the past that I have both of my road bikes running the 10-speed version, and so far the new 11-speed is equally amazing) and offers precision shifting without the worry about missing the timing or shifting under load. The system is coupled to Shimano's 160mm ice-tech rotors, which have proven to brake smoothly and reliably in the face of all the conditions I have put them through so far (and due to the hydraulic system, no ting-ting of rotor contact on the pads under hard sprinting or climbing). My bike is rolling on a set of DT Swiss 29er wheels, and though they are a tad overbuilt for CX racing, they are very stiff and responsive, allowing quick acceleration and steering response. I plan to put more miles on this machine quickly and should have a nice follow-up before CX season, but right now I see no reason to not grab one of these immediately if you are looking for a new race machine for the years ahead.
June 11, 2014
New CX teaser and Spring updates
I know it is not even officially summer yet, but it is never too early to get started preparing for the CX season. After the challenging entry into the 1/2 field last season, I know that I need to step things up for 2014 to get the results I want. In addition, I have been racing the road this season with more vigor as well, racking up some big mileage and definitely feeling stronger and fitter than I have in the past.
I've been doing a lot of racing recently, and in combination with my class-load have fallen a little behind on posting race reports here, but that should be changing shortly. Recently I completed the challenging Capital Stage Race down in Olympia, finishing as the highest placed rider on the Bikesale.com team (however there were only 3 of us). I also just this past weekend raced the always exciting Ballard Criterium. This race was blisteringly fast as usual, but rather than being spit out the back as I was in 2013 (only lasted about 20min of the 70min race), this year I was hard charging until the end. My Garmin reported that we were running 26.6mph average for those 70 minutes - definitely a challenging effort!
While I didn't have any notable finishes in any of these races, I do feel like my form is coming along well, and we do have the whole summer of racing ahead - that just means it is time for some strong finishes!
Well, back to the main purpose of this post - I have just sorted out my 2014 racing machine. After a lot of research and working with a few builders and companies, I have found the perfect bike for what I was after. The next step involved a lot of back-and-forth with their team, making sure things would work out and getting the bike set-up perfectly. While I am not racing officially under their banner this season, I am acting as a representative of their products, and if things go well that could possibly change in the future.
I am going to keep things a little secretive until I have the bike dialed in, so stay tuned, but here are some teasers to get you as excited as I am...
Some nice boxes for me...
Some slick looking new wheels (with disks!)
And the teaser for the frame...
I've been doing a lot of racing recently, and in combination with my class-load have fallen a little behind on posting race reports here, but that should be changing shortly. Recently I completed the challenging Capital Stage Race down in Olympia, finishing as the highest placed rider on the Bikesale.com team (however there were only 3 of us). I also just this past weekend raced the always exciting Ballard Criterium. This race was blisteringly fast as usual, but rather than being spit out the back as I was in 2013 (only lasted about 20min of the 70min race), this year I was hard charging until the end. My Garmin reported that we were running 26.6mph average for those 70 minutes - definitely a challenging effort!
While I didn't have any notable finishes in any of these races, I do feel like my form is coming along well, and we do have the whole summer of racing ahead - that just means it is time for some strong finishes!
Well, back to the main purpose of this post - I have just sorted out my 2014 racing machine. After a lot of research and working with a few builders and companies, I have found the perfect bike for what I was after. The next step involved a lot of back-and-forth with their team, making sure things would work out and getting the bike set-up perfectly. While I am not racing officially under their banner this season, I am acting as a representative of their products, and if things go well that could possibly change in the future.
I am going to keep things a little secretive until I have the bike dialed in, so stay tuned, but here are some teasers to get you as excited as I am...
December 17, 2013
SCX #6 - Enumclaw - Season Finish
The 2013 Cross season wrapped up this past weekend with the muddy race down at Enumclaw's King County Fairgrounds. This race always tends to be a muddy one, but with the dry and cold lead-up to the weekend, I was wondering if we were in for a cold and dry course instead. Mother Nature had a change of heart mid-week and the moisture came in to restore the thick mud.
After the mud race at Steilacoom for SCX #5, I figured one more muddy race couldn't hurt, and prepared to get dirty. The course was a similar layout to previous years, utilizing the grassy field for some looping corners before sending riders across a muddy stretch and into the large run-up. Once at the top, you then worked through some single-track corners and into the upper section of grooved mud, before a short downhill/180 to uphill/180 to downhill that took you back to the lower level. Here we crossed through the deeper mud field before emerging back into the grass field for some more corners, a set of barriers, and a little muddy section before swinging back to the start and doing it all again. As usual, the course was nicely torn up for our race, and over the hour it would get a little more slick in some spots as riders wore down the last remaining grass sections into the mud.
Due to my decent finishes over the season, I was sitting nicely in 8th overall for the series. This meant front-row call-up! I didn't have a great start, so I hit the first corner at roughly 12th, but worked through some riders and was hanging onto the tail of the leaders as we worked through the infield and toward the run-up for the first time. For the majority of the first lap I stayed with this group as they worked to catch Russell (who had shot off the front from the gun). By the second time up the hill, myself and a few others from this group had fallen back a ways, but continued to work along, sometimes gaining ground on the riders ahead. On the third lap, a pair of riders crashed in one of the corners and I managed to roll past by pushing the course tape out of the way. This bought me some space behind, but cemented a gap to the riders ahead.
For the final 3 or 4 laps I worked with the pair of Dougvascas riders as we worked through the course. We managed to pass a rider who ran out of steam, but otherwise we just maintained the gap behind us for the rest of the race. Shortly before hitting the start line on the last 2 laps, Russell managed to shoot past us, meaning that we would only do one more lap instead of 2. At this point I was definitely getting worn down from the muddy slop, so I wasn't too upset. In the end, we were not passed by any other riders, so I feel like the race was done pretty well. My final race ended with a respectable 15th place, good enough to move up to 7th in the series! Not a bad result for my first season in the 1/2 field.
Now it is time for a little relaxing before the 2014 season begins. 2014 will be a big year, and I expect some good results both on and offroad. See you out there!
After the mud race at Steilacoom for SCX #5, I figured one more muddy race couldn't hurt, and prepared to get dirty. The course was a similar layout to previous years, utilizing the grassy field for some looping corners before sending riders across a muddy stretch and into the large run-up. Once at the top, you then worked through some single-track corners and into the upper section of grooved mud, before a short downhill/180 to uphill/180 to downhill that took you back to the lower level. Here we crossed through the deeper mud field before emerging back into the grass field for some more corners, a set of barriers, and a little muddy section before swinging back to the start and doing it all again. As usual, the course was nicely torn up for our race, and over the hour it would get a little more slick in some spots as riders wore down the last remaining grass sections into the mud.
Due to my decent finishes over the season, I was sitting nicely in 8th overall for the series. This meant front-row call-up! I didn't have a great start, so I hit the first corner at roughly 12th, but worked through some riders and was hanging onto the tail of the leaders as we worked through the infield and toward the run-up for the first time. For the majority of the first lap I stayed with this group as they worked to catch Russell (who had shot off the front from the gun). By the second time up the hill, myself and a few others from this group had fallen back a ways, but continued to work along, sometimes gaining ground on the riders ahead. On the third lap, a pair of riders crashed in one of the corners and I managed to roll past by pushing the course tape out of the way. This bought me some space behind, but cemented a gap to the riders ahead.
For the final 3 or 4 laps I worked with the pair of Dougvascas riders as we worked through the course. We managed to pass a rider who ran out of steam, but otherwise we just maintained the gap behind us for the rest of the race. Shortly before hitting the start line on the last 2 laps, Russell managed to shoot past us, meaning that we would only do one more lap instead of 2. At this point I was definitely getting worn down from the muddy slop, so I wasn't too upset. In the end, we were not passed by any other riders, so I feel like the race was done pretty well. My final race ended with a respectable 15th place, good enough to move up to 7th in the series! Not a bad result for my first season in the 1/2 field.
Now it is time for a little relaxing before the 2014 season begins. 2014 will be a big year, and I expect some good results both on and offroad. See you out there!
November 30, 2013
2013 WSBA Cyclocross State Championships
The WSBA Cyclocross state championship races were held up in Arlington again this year on a course situated on the airport grounds. Last year the rain turned the field into a soupy quagmire, and the course design featured multiple tight spirals through the energy-sapping mud. This year's race was a much different story however. The ground had frozen from the week of cold temperature, so the course designers were forced to resort to different strategies to whittle the field.
From the gun, the course shot into a right angle turn and then doubled back on itself toward the center of the course. Popping over a log, we then navigated a few corners before quickly jumping over the barriers and then into the only section of mud on the course. Shooting through the mud allowed for easy passage before navigating back into another series of tight turns.
Exiting onto a small chunk of pavement, we then shot up a short embankment and into a steep and rutted descent. A quick turn at the bottom and we then raced into the slick run-up. At this point, racers worked through some rutted corners before a long drag along the back of the course and toward the starting line.
I managed to get a decent start and work forward for the first half lap before a small bump caused my chain to stick. I was moving again almost immediately, but was now fighting from further back. Fueled by the frustration of the mechanical I flew back up the course, passing riders as I carved through the corners. Within a lap I found myself behind the same group of riders I had initially been combating. I put on the pressure as we entered a tighter corner and two of the riders wiped out. I snaked through the inside line and then turned up the throttle to gain some distance.
I was maintaining a good pace, and even passed a few more riders as we quickly approached the half-way point of the race. I could see my new targets ahead, and was slowly reeling them in. With 3 laps to go, one of the racers behind me had managed to latch on, and I could feel him breathing down my back. I held my lines and kept him contained for half the lap, but he managed to squeeze by on a wider section. I was on his wheel immediately, and we both raced ahead. As we hit a section of straight, I increased the pace and was back in the lead. I managed to hold this position until shortly after the barriers when he overtook me again.
As we entered the final lap, my opponent was just ahead and we were still gaining on the leading racers. I started increasing the pressure, hoping that he would make a mistake and I could capitalize on the situation. Unfortunately he was able to hold strong, and as we made the final corners I knew the positions weren't changing. We rolled through the line with a few seconds between us and started to cool off.
I was very happy to learn that I claimed 10th in the open Elite race - my best finish this year! We only have two SCX races left this year, so I only have a few left before the season wraps up. If I can continue to score some great finishes like this, I will be very pleased. Time to do a little work in preparation for Steilacoom next weekend and make sure I do well. See you out there, and keep on racing.
From the gun, the course shot into a right angle turn and then doubled back on itself toward the center of the course. Popping over a log, we then navigated a few corners before quickly jumping over the barriers and then into the only section of mud on the course. Shooting through the mud allowed for easy passage before navigating back into another series of tight turns.
Exiting onto a small chunk of pavement, we then shot up a short embankment and into a steep and rutted descent. A quick turn at the bottom and we then raced into the slick run-up. At this point, racers worked through some rutted corners before a long drag along the back of the course and toward the starting line.
I managed to get a decent start and work forward for the first half lap before a small bump caused my chain to stick. I was moving again almost immediately, but was now fighting from further back. Fueled by the frustration of the mechanical I flew back up the course, passing riders as I carved through the corners. Within a lap I found myself behind the same group of riders I had initially been combating. I put on the pressure as we entered a tighter corner and two of the riders wiped out. I snaked through the inside line and then turned up the throttle to gain some distance.
I was maintaining a good pace, and even passed a few more riders as we quickly approached the half-way point of the race. I could see my new targets ahead, and was slowly reeling them in. With 3 laps to go, one of the racers behind me had managed to latch on, and I could feel him breathing down my back. I held my lines and kept him contained for half the lap, but he managed to squeeze by on a wider section. I was on his wheel immediately, and we both raced ahead. As we hit a section of straight, I increased the pace and was back in the lead. I managed to hold this position until shortly after the barriers when he overtook me again.
As we entered the final lap, my opponent was just ahead and we were still gaining on the leading racers. I started increasing the pressure, hoping that he would make a mistake and I could capitalize on the situation. Unfortunately he was able to hold strong, and as we made the final corners I knew the positions weren't changing. We rolled through the line with a few seconds between us and started to cool off.
I was very happy to learn that I claimed 10th in the open Elite race - my best finish this year! We only have two SCX races left this year, so I only have a few left before the season wraps up. If I can continue to score some great finishes like this, I will be very pleased. Time to do a little work in preparation for Steilacoom next weekend and make sure I do well. See you out there, and keep on racing.
November 24, 2013
Seattle CX #4 - Sprinkler Park
Here we are, hitting the latter half of the WA state CX season. Temperatures have dropped, the weather is generally getting more 'Cross style (with mud), and the diehards are out in full force. Since the MFG season has ended, most of the casual racers (even in the Elite field) have hung up their boots and packed it in for next year. The remaining racers tend to come in at the end, covered in mud and with a smile on their faces.
Sprinkler Park tends to be a course I do well at - areas where the Road fitness can play a part coupled with some corners to slow it up. Temperatures were on the cooler side, and to make things even better the clouds opened up during the earlier races, sprinkling a chilling rain for the rest of the afternoon. As a culmination of my increasing performances, as well as the dwindling field, I received a call-up and was in the second line for the start. As the whistle was blown, we shot off the line and attacked the course in full-force. The field moved through the first sweeping corner without much slowing. However, in the sharp 180-degree turn before the barriers, the pinching point occurred. Some riders got caught up in the loose turn, and I managed to sneak by on the outside, making for a top 10 position. I hung on to the tail of the lead group as we hit the first hill and swung back into the woods.
By this point, the leaders had broken the elastic and I was now hanging on the back of the chasing group as we worked through the tight BMX-style inner section of the course. We then flew through the sand-mud and into the second run-up. A few corners later, and I was onto the longest section of the course: a narrow and high-speed path back to the start line. As we started the second lap, I was still hanging with the chase group. We continued to push the pace to try to get to the leaders, but after about half a lap I was now in the no-man's-land behind the chase group.
I was caught by a few other riders and we worked together, gaining on the chase group ahead. After a lap on the tail, I made my move and was now leading the pack. We continued to hustle through the course at our pace and working toward the leaders. I definitely started to feel the work and with the other riders breathing down my neck, I soon found myself making small errors. These caught up with me a lap later and now I was off the back of this group
I managed to get my second wind and start peeling in the pack, and was shortly joined by another racer who had fallen back from the racers ahead. We traded off pulling, and worked our way toward the racers ahead. At this point we only had 2 laps to go. We continued racing along and I could see the racers ahead of us - we were nearly there! I now really put on the pressure, and my companion went too wide in a corner and I jumped past. This was the final lap, and I now had less than half a lap to cement my position and see if I could catch the others. I laid down all the power I had left and raced along the back section of the course and into the final stretch. Topping out my gearing, I raced toward the finish and ended up a solid 13th, just seconds off the tail of the group I was trying to catch.
There were only 22 starters, but I am definitely happy with my 13th place finish, especially when I was only about 3:30 behind local super-star Russell Stevenson.
Next weekend is the WA State championships, so lets see what I can achieve there.
See you out there and keep on racing!
Sprinkler Park tends to be a course I do well at - areas where the Road fitness can play a part coupled with some corners to slow it up. Temperatures were on the cooler side, and to make things even better the clouds opened up during the earlier races, sprinkling a chilling rain for the rest of the afternoon. As a culmination of my increasing performances, as well as the dwindling field, I received a call-up and was in the second line for the start. As the whistle was blown, we shot off the line and attacked the course in full-force. The field moved through the first sweeping corner without much slowing. However, in the sharp 180-degree turn before the barriers, the pinching point occurred. Some riders got caught up in the loose turn, and I managed to sneak by on the outside, making for a top 10 position. I hung on to the tail of the lead group as we hit the first hill and swung back into the woods.
By this point, the leaders had broken the elastic and I was now hanging on the back of the chasing group as we worked through the tight BMX-style inner section of the course. We then flew through the sand-mud and into the second run-up. A few corners later, and I was onto the longest section of the course: a narrow and high-speed path back to the start line. As we started the second lap, I was still hanging with the chase group. We continued to push the pace to try to get to the leaders, but after about half a lap I was now in the no-man's-land behind the chase group.
I was caught by a few other riders and we worked together, gaining on the chase group ahead. After a lap on the tail, I made my move and was now leading the pack. We continued to hustle through the course at our pace and working toward the leaders. I definitely started to feel the work and with the other riders breathing down my neck, I soon found myself making small errors. These caught up with me a lap later and now I was off the back of this group
I managed to get my second wind and start peeling in the pack, and was shortly joined by another racer who had fallen back from the racers ahead. We traded off pulling, and worked our way toward the racers ahead. At this point we only had 2 laps to go. We continued racing along and I could see the racers ahead of us - we were nearly there! I now really put on the pressure, and my companion went too wide in a corner and I jumped past. This was the final lap, and I now had less than half a lap to cement my position and see if I could catch the others. I laid down all the power I had left and raced along the back section of the course and into the final stretch. Topping out my gearing, I raced toward the finish and ended up a solid 13th, just seconds off the tail of the group I was trying to catch.
There were only 22 starters, but I am definitely happy with my 13th place finish, especially when I was only about 3:30 behind local super-star Russell Stevenson.
Next weekend is the WA State championships, so lets see what I can achieve there.
See you out there and keep on racing!
November 17, 2013
MFG #6 - Woodland Park
With that, the 2013 MFG Cyclocross season was wrapped up. As has been the case for the past few years, the season wraps up with the iconic Woodland Park race. This race tends to have ridiculous turn-out due to the great location and fun track. This year was no different, and MFG says that over 1300 racers turned out to compete across the day!
The weather was chilly, but the rain was no-where to be seen. There had been some moisture over the week, so the course did develop a few muddier sections, but it was generally tacky and fast. Zac and the MFG crew developed a new course for the race this year, and it was a big improvement on an already great race. A few little changes throughout, including some winding descents and a longer run-up really made the race a new challenge and had the racers pushing the limits.
As tends to be the case with these races, the early races had delayed the starts, and the 1/2 Elite race started about 15 minutes late. The new starting chute was on the paved loop around the park, so the starting speed was fast. As we transitioned into the grass and the first corner, the pandemonium started as racers struggled to keep upright and heading forward. I managed to keep a good line, and made it through unscathed.
The first lap was an experience, not only moving forward through the field, but also racing the new course with other riders for the first time. Seeing how the lines changed with the other racers was enlightening, and I picked up some little tricks from the faster racers that I would use for the rest of the race to make myself faster. Cutting through a gap between the tape and tree, rather than riding around the tree. Cutting across some loam instead of winding through a muddier section. These little changes were made to pass other riders and keep my pace up.
For the majority of the race I was part of the big chase for the leaders. The fast group that was racing for the win was up the course by a decent amount, but our group of 6 riders were battling it out as the fast 2s. There were a few sections that I was hanging on the back, but I was happy that when we hit the tighter turns I was right back at the front. I finally made my move heading into the starting line, and managed to make a small break with two others on the asphalt. We turned up the gas and managed to gap the rest of the group as we headed toward the run-up. The other two riders both opted to ride up the hill and I transitioned to run. Unfortunately, as we neared 3/4 of the way up, the lead rider bobbled and we were all slowed down to get up the remaining way. Lead gone. As we got to the top, the others were back on our wheels again and all that work was lost.
For the last 3 laps, we continued to push along, until another bobble separated me from the group. I spent the last two laps duking it out with the other rider who fell off the back. We traded punches and actually started reducing the gap to the other riders. Unfortunately, the race would end before we reconnected, but it was good to know we were making positive progress. As we neared the finish, I knew the place to move was the final hill. The other rider was in front as we worked around some other riders. My plan was to watch his attack and stick to his wheel, and then counter-attack at the top of the hill and make it to the line in front. He attacked earlier than I anticipated, but it worked well as I was still moving around the other riders. I did grab his wheel, but we were already into the decent when I was ready to move around him. I did make the inside line in the corner, but he managed to hold the lead into the final corners. I stayed on the wheel, seeing if I could get another attack in, but today was not the day for me. I ended up rolling across the line in 25th of the 37 finishers (and 47 starters). Not my best result, but a good race and a nice end to the MFG races.
Now it is time to regroup for the remaining 3 races of the SCX series and finish up my first Cat2 season well. See you out there!
The weather was chilly, but the rain was no-where to be seen. There had been some moisture over the week, so the course did develop a few muddier sections, but it was generally tacky and fast. Zac and the MFG crew developed a new course for the race this year, and it was a big improvement on an already great race. A few little changes throughout, including some winding descents and a longer run-up really made the race a new challenge and had the racers pushing the limits.
As tends to be the case with these races, the early races had delayed the starts, and the 1/2 Elite race started about 15 minutes late. The new starting chute was on the paved loop around the park, so the starting speed was fast. As we transitioned into the grass and the first corner, the pandemonium started as racers struggled to keep upright and heading forward. I managed to keep a good line, and made it through unscathed.
For the majority of the race I was part of the big chase for the leaders. The fast group that was racing for the win was up the course by a decent amount, but our group of 6 riders were battling it out as the fast 2s. There were a few sections that I was hanging on the back, but I was happy that when we hit the tighter turns I was right back at the front. I finally made my move heading into the starting line, and managed to make a small break with two others on the asphalt. We turned up the gas and managed to gap the rest of the group as we headed toward the run-up. The other two riders both opted to ride up the hill and I transitioned to run. Unfortunately, as we neared 3/4 of the way up, the lead rider bobbled and we were all slowed down to get up the remaining way. Lead gone. As we got to the top, the others were back on our wheels again and all that work was lost.
Now it is time to regroup for the remaining 3 races of the SCX series and finish up my first Cat2 season well. See you out there!
November 6, 2013
Seattle CX #3 - Silver Lake
For the second time this season, we made the trip to Silver Lake in Everett, this time for the 3rd round of the Seattle Cyclocross series. Despite some crazy weather on Saturday, Sunday was relatively mild with only a little chill to alter the otherwise sunny Autumn day.
Since we had already raced at Silver Lake this year in the MFG cyclocross series, the Seattle CX team really upped the ante and modified the course to feature some additional single-track sections to pair with the sand and hills. The initial runs through the course showed that it would definitely be a lot of climbing, but I did feel like things were running well.
As we lined up, I was surprised to actually be part of the call-up (even if it was at the end). Just goes to show that my continued efforts are paying off. I had a decent start and managed to stay with the lead group until we hit the first hill, when the leaders split the group and turned up the gas. From then on, it was about metering out the gas and moving forward as possible through the field.
At the top of the first climb, we turned around the small concrete building at the top of the park before shooting into some single-track corners and a small uphill before cutting to a set of barriers. After the barrier it was full gas before flying down a hill and into a tight corner before the first blast across the sand. Climbing up through the hill on the other side of the course, we then hit another section of single-track before hitting the sand for the second, longer stretch. At the end of the sand straight, there was a choppy sand corner before another section of hills and some challenging off-camber descending before flying to the start-finish again.
After just the first lap, the challenging course began taking casualties in the form of mechanical troubles. Although, unlike the first time through (when Silver Lake took 11 riders out of the race), many racers were able to get going again and only 2 were DNF'd from the course. I continued my run of clean races, and made my way past racers who suffered from the course.
At the end of the race, I managed to finish a very nice 17th of the 25 starters. I did unfortunately get passed by the 4 leaders of the race, so I finished a lap down, however I did manage to finish well and even passed a rider on the last lap.
Seattle Cyclocross will resume at Sprinkler Park in two weeks, but this coming weekend will be the big series-finale of the MFG series at my local Woodland Park course. It should be a great race, so it is time to really gear up and finish that series with a big result.
See you out there!
Since we had already raced at Silver Lake this year in the MFG cyclocross series, the Seattle CX team really upped the ante and modified the course to feature some additional single-track sections to pair with the sand and hills. The initial runs through the course showed that it would definitely be a lot of climbing, but I did feel like things were running well.
At the top of the first climb, we turned around the small concrete building at the top of the park before shooting into some single-track corners and a small uphill before cutting to a set of barriers. After the barrier it was full gas before flying down a hill and into a tight corner before the first blast across the sand. Climbing up through the hill on the other side of the course, we then hit another section of single-track before hitting the sand for the second, longer stretch. At the end of the sand straight, there was a choppy sand corner before another section of hills and some challenging off-camber descending before flying to the start-finish again.
After just the first lap, the challenging course began taking casualties in the form of mechanical troubles. Although, unlike the first time through (when Silver Lake took 11 riders out of the race), many racers were able to get going again and only 2 were DNF'd from the course. I continued my run of clean races, and made my way past racers who suffered from the course.
Seattle Cyclocross will resume at Sprinkler Park in two weeks, but this coming weekend will be the big series-finale of the MFG series at my local Woodland Park course. It should be a great race, so it is time to really gear up and finish that series with a big result.
See you out there!
October 29, 2013
MFG 2013 #5 - SCCA/Starbucks GP at Marymoor Velodrome
Boom, and I am back! After my recent re-fit, I am definitely putting down the power and showing the form I have been missing this season.
SCCA/Starbucks GP is typically toward the tail of the MFG series, and was the 5th race this year. Unlike when we race Marymoor for Starcrossed (which is generally warm and dusty), the GP is generally a more Cross-like affair with mud and cold. This year did not disappoint, with the day starting in rain. By the afternoon it had stopped raining and the afternoon races were held across a tacky mud track, with only a few sections containing the slicker mud from the morning. It was a cool fall day, but as the sun came out, it was definitely a nice day for Cross. A few pre-race laps showed that everything was running well, and I was ready to hit the course at full-speed.
The Elite field lined up for our race a bit delayed. This was due to course modifications made before the Elite women (they modified a smaller chicane into a much more abrupt chicane for increased challenge). On the gun, we shot down the front straight and along the paved trail before a turn onto gravel and then into the first pass of the pits across the bumpy grass. We then rolled around the front and then up a short hill with barriers before a off-camber downhill (I am sure this was rougher in the morning while it was more slick). It was then a short blast into the infield and along another stretch of bumpy grass.
I was quite happy with how the course was riding and how I racing as well. The newly revised fitment on the bike was definitely working, as I was able to efficiently power along and keep the bike tracking where I needed it. As I mentioned above, the course had dried out and provided excellent hook-up for the tires. This resulted in high speeds and made for exciting racing as we were constantly battling each other for placing.
As the race wore on, the course began to take its toll on the racers. A younger racer suffered a loose crank bolt and soon I saw him abandon as he only had one crank arm. Other riders ran out of gas or had wipe-outs in the corners. On the last lap a rider from Rock Lobster managed to blow his chain and had to run in the rest of the lap to finish the race.
As I shot into the finish, I raced in with a Masters racer and ended up 21st of 41 starters of the Elite race. Definitely a pick up from the last few races, and a good sign of the progress I have been working on. Now it is time to carry this momentum for the rest of the season and hit up Silver Lake this weekend for Seattle CX #3. See you out there, and keep on racing!
Thanks again Woodinville Bicycle for the great photos.
SCCA/Starbucks GP is typically toward the tail of the MFG series, and was the 5th race this year. Unlike when we race Marymoor for Starcrossed (which is generally warm and dusty), the GP is generally a more Cross-like affair with mud and cold. This year did not disappoint, with the day starting in rain. By the afternoon it had stopped raining and the afternoon races were held across a tacky mud track, with only a few sections containing the slicker mud from the morning. It was a cool fall day, but as the sun came out, it was definitely a nice day for Cross. A few pre-race laps showed that everything was running well, and I was ready to hit the course at full-speed.
While we continued to navigate the infield, I continued to move forward through the competitors. We then shot out to the back half of the course and into a short hill and decent before hitting the harder chicane. After the chicane it was straight into a long off-camber as we rode along the side of the hill and into the the second pass of the pits. Along the back road, it was high-speed and full-gas before a few short hill corners and then into the front again.
As the race wore on, the course began to take its toll on the racers. A younger racer suffered a loose crank bolt and soon I saw him abandon as he only had one crank arm. Other riders ran out of gas or had wipe-outs in the corners. On the last lap a rider from Rock Lobster managed to blow his chain and had to run in the rest of the lap to finish the race.
Thanks again Woodinville Bicycle for the great photos.
October 24, 2013
MFG 2013 #4 at Magnuson Park
Last weekend was round 4 of the 2013 MFG Cyclocross series. Weather has been a bit light the past few days, so it going to be a pretty dry course, and Magnuson park tends to be a fast course with long straights separating the locations of the park. After great warm-up work this week, I was feeling good (and winning here last year as a Cat 3 didn't hurt either) and excited for the race. A short lap of the course showed that it was definitely running fast, with the majority of the track being dirt.
When they called us up, the field was definitely large - 44 racers starting in the 1-2 field. Since I still have not had a good finish this year, I ended up in the 3rd/4th row. On the whistle we hit the gas and flew up toward the start/finish and onto the first lap. Hitting the first corner, I squeezed past a few racers, making up ground as possible. We kept up the pace through the entirety of the front section of grass corners and through the barriers. At this point we were back onto pavement and heading out to the tennis courts at full speed. A few quick corners later and we were navigating a series of short hill corners and then jumped onto the gravel. After a short stretch on the gravel, the road pitched upward for the tough hill section of the course. At this point, the leaders had raced off ahead and I was battling with the back of the field, making up places where I could. At the top of the hill, you then plunged back down the other side and into a 180-degree corner before shooting back to the finish-line.
After a few laps, I was effectively fighting with the few others hanging on at the back of the field. Despite the good lead-in to the event, I just felt out of gas after the first lap. I continued putting down the power as I could, and eventually fell into a good rhythm on the course. As I started the final lap, I was still ahead of the leaders, so I finally finished a race in the same lap this year. Not the result I was hoping for, but still a sign of progress. I ended up finishing in 34th of the 44 starters. Again, not great (no call-up yet...), but a decent finish.
Since the race, I have had my bike re-fit and definitely feel like I am able to put down the power without feeling out of juice. Now it is time to get settled in and ready for the next MFG race at Marymoor park. Lets see how things go; it sure would be fun to finally get some good races done this season.
October 16, 2013
Seattle Cyclocross #2 - Tall Chief Golf Course
This past weekend was the second event of the Seattle Cyclocross series for 2013, hosted at a new venue in Carnation - the Tall Chief Golf Course. This golf course has been closed down for over a year, but somehow the SCX crew managed to get it opened up as a cross venue. They spent a good amount of time cutting out a course, and it definitely worked out! The course was very large and covered some climbing, off-camber mud sections, steep hills up and down, a lot of slow mud and deep mud too. Bikes were coming in with large chunks of mud and grass, and many racers were going to be making trips to the LBS this week to fix broken parts as a result.
Our race started about 30 minutes late, to give you an idea at how the racers were trickling in. As with every race so far this year, I was starting in the third row, so it definitely is important to move up quickly! When the bell rang, we hit the gas. Despite having only a moderate jump off the line, I was able to pick a very clear line into the first corner and moved up into the tail of the lead group. As we made the second corner and into the off-camber straight section, I continued to hold my spot. We hit the big downhill and everyone braced to make the corner at the bottom. I cut through the mud and started gassing it up the short gravel climb to continue holding with the leaders.
At this point we flew into the front stretch of the course - a series of straightaways and looping corners in a variety of bumpy grass and slow-n-tacky mud. This was the section of the course that really killed your legs, as it was very difficult to keep up momentum in this mud. This is where the elastic finally snapped and we who were holding onto the leaders' tails were ejected. I continued to push along, trying to catch back on, but realizing I would be spending the rest of the racing doing so.
Hitting the mud in front of the pit, I jumped aside and started running while I watched others struggle through the deep mud. Once you reached the other side, it was back on the bike and full-power to get up a short muddy hill before looping back for a second shorter hill and then shooting out onto a nice hard path for a minute. The final part of the course was a loop through the grass and then into another mud field. This field was far more rideable, but I still felt I was faster dismounting and running the last half, gaining ground on some of the riders who persisted in riding the entire thing. Once you were through the mud, a short trip over the barriers and then you were right back to the starting stretch and hitting the gas again.
In the end, I had a decent race, ending up 17th of 25 starters. Definitely showing some form improvement again, so I am looking forward to another week of build-up before MFG's Magnusson Park race next weekend - an event I have always done well at and won as a Cat 3 last year. As for the new course? Well, it is definitely a challenging set-up, but I think that it was a well designed course. If we race here again next year, I think they will have things changed a little, but overall it was a great challenge to the riders and a good way to spend the day at the races.
At this point we flew into the front stretch of the course - a series of straightaways and looping corners in a variety of bumpy grass and slow-n-tacky mud. This was the section of the course that really killed your legs, as it was very difficult to keep up momentum in this mud. This is where the elastic finally snapped and we who were holding onto the leaders' tails were ejected. I continued to push along, trying to catch back on, but realizing I would be spending the rest of the racing doing so.
October 10, 2013
Double Trouble - Cascade CX at Bellingham BMX & MFG #3 at Silver Lake
Whew - busy weekend with the travel up to Bellingham for Cacade Cyclocross at the Bellingham BMX park for Saturday and then back down to Everett for the MFG race at Silver Lake. Coming off my rest week, I wasn't sure how things would go, but getting experience of the 1/2 races is always helpful. I also figured that seeing a whole new course would be a fun little experience.
We drove up to Bellingham on Friday to make sure that I was well-rested and ready for the race on Saturday. The Bellingham BMX park is part of a larger chunk of land, so the owners have decided to build a permanent Cyclocross course on the premises; a very cool idea, even if it is a bit of a journey to get up there. The layout was pretty interesting with a mix of tight and cambered corners, a few sections through the woods, and some deeper sections for mud. Mud would be the key word though, since they had just built the course a few weeks ago, just in time for the big rains we have been having. Even though the run-in to the race had been dry, the course still featured ankle-deep mud pits with ranges from thinner soup to sticky peanut-butter, just to keep things grueling.
We lined up in front of the Masters and the Singlespeed fields, under an unseasonably warm 70 degree day. When the bell rang, I managed a good start and was in the front group as some of the field was caught in the first corners and the first sections of mud. I was running full-gas for the first lap, but slowly lost contact with the leaders as we hit the longer mud sections and the run-up into the woods. I did my best to navigate the next few laps and hold position as best as possible. A few times I ended up getting stuck coming into tricky sections behind the slower single-speed riders, losing time before finally getting a passing line.
With a few laps to go, the leaders had caught me. I jumped onto their wheels and was able to chase their lines for awhile, learning some of the faster lines they had chosen. At this point, it was just about surviving for the next few laps, as other riders were running out of steam or succumbing to mechanical issues. As I approached the final line, I hit the gas and was very happy to be finished. Final position was 12th of the 21 starters, so not too bad, however with only 15 of us finishing the entire race, I was definitely toward the back.
After the race was an important clean-up procedure; washing off pounds of mud from the bike and myself (luckily the boat-shop right next to our parking spot had a hose they let me use; it definitely saved a lot of time compared to our small hand-pump sprayer!). I needed to make sure everything was going to be ready for the race on Sunday since I wouldn't be home beforehand. With all that work finished, it was time for a welcome rest for the night!
The morning dawned with another sunny day, although luckily a little cooler. After getting all the gear packed up, we were on the road back down to Everett and out to Silver Lake for the 3rd MFG race of 2013. Silver Lake has never been a course that I have had good results at, but it is always an interesting event. The long stretches of sand are difficult, and are separated with steep climbs and descents out of a mountain bike race.
As will every MFG race this season, I ended up with a 3rd row starting position, but I tried to position myself behind some of the faster guys to get a good starting shot. When the bell rang, we shot up the paved section and flew into the first corners before a steep hill and flying into some off-camber descending. At this point I was fighting for mid-pack position and then we started some switchback climbing up to the top of the park. A short section of pavement lead into a very fast and steep descent that curved around a bunch of trees to shoot us into the shorter sand section. This was then followed with a long paved climb to the other half of the course and into some winding paths through the trees. Next was some short climbs and drops before being flung back to the beach and along the very long beach section before starting the madness once again.
At the end of this busy weekend, it was definitely time to get working again and see what I can manage to pull together for the rest of the season. These races were definitely eye-opening as I was surprised at how fast I was running out of gas and comparing my speed to the leaders. I feel like the season so far has been a good way to see how the 1/2 field compares to the 3s, and while it is much harder, I plan to adjust my training to make sure I am doing better for the rest of the season.
See you next weekend for Seattle Cyclocross #2 in Carnation.
October 1, 2013
MFG Cyclocross 2013 #2 - Lake Sammamish
This past weekend was not only super rainy, but it was also the weekend of MFG Cyclocross #2 at Lake Sammamish park in Issaquah. After feeling great last weekend at SCX #1, I was excited to hit the course and go for a great finish. I had a solid week of riding, so I felt like the fitness was there and ready. The rain made for treacherous muddy conditions, especially as the morning racers had nicely churned everything up into a soggy, slippery mess.
I warmed up happily utilizing my tent as the rain continued to fall. Everything was feeling great as we lined up. I again was lined up 3rd row as I haven't placed well in the series yet this year. I made sure to start near the side so that as we got going I could shoot up the outside. At the whistle, as I expected the group pulled toward the middle of the road. I moved up along the right shoulder and as we hit the first corner I was happily in the top half of the group. We cycled through the first few winding and bumpy corners before hitting the very slick rear section of off-camber corners. We hit the beach and I was still in a good spot and managed to squeeze up a little more as we ran through the sand. Quickly getting back on the bike, I cut through the trees and we shot back into the front of the course.
The first corners of the front section were deep, thick mud. I rode through the deep corners and hit the barriers still on the tail of the leaders. So far so good!
We got going again through the faster sections and into some really slick mud corners. I was hustling to stay on the wheels until disaster! A rider managed to plow right into my front wheel sending me into the tape and while I managed to stay upright, the hit was enough to pop the wheel out of the dropouts, meaning there was no immediate running. I managed to pop the brake and reset the wheel, but I definitely lost some good ground here.
I got rushing off again ASAP and it felt good to start passing other riders from my field right away. I started getting into a groove and slowly making up places for the next few laps, enjoying my lack of mechanicals even though I did manage to slide around a bit (too much air pressure!)
As race leader Steve Fisher flew past me, I jumped on his wheel and managed to get a great view on a very fast line through the first few corners of the course until he managed to pull away. As I hit the sand for the last lap I was passed by the only other rider to lap me, Russell Stevenson. I was on his tail for the next few corners, again getting a good view of a faster line.
We hit another tricky section and little bobble due to carelessness caused me some trouble as two riders who had been hanging on my wheel managed to squeeze past. I tried to chase them back down, but fatigue was definitely beginning to show. I got onto their wheels at the barriers only to loose them again. I caught them again in a few corners, and as we hit the pavement I jumped on the gas trying to get back in front, however I just missed them at the line, finishing 1 second back.
I ended up finishing a solid 25th out of the starting field of 36. A solid result, although again I feel like I could have been better if I had avoided some little blunders.
Next weekend is the double-header out in Bellingham, so I am ready to bring the speed and go for some solid results. Check back soon to see how things go.
Keep on riding friends.
I warmed up happily utilizing my tent as the rain continued to fall. Everything was feeling great as we lined up. I again was lined up 3rd row as I haven't placed well in the series yet this year. I made sure to start near the side so that as we got going I could shoot up the outside. At the whistle, as I expected the group pulled toward the middle of the road. I moved up along the right shoulder and as we hit the first corner I was happily in the top half of the group. We cycled through the first few winding and bumpy corners before hitting the very slick rear section of off-camber corners. We hit the beach and I was still in a good spot and managed to squeeze up a little more as we ran through the sand. Quickly getting back on the bike, I cut through the trees and we shot back into the front of the course.
The first corners of the front section were deep, thick mud. I rode through the deep corners and hit the barriers still on the tail of the leaders. So far so good!
We got going again through the faster sections and into some really slick mud corners. I was hustling to stay on the wheels until disaster! A rider managed to plow right into my front wheel sending me into the tape and while I managed to stay upright, the hit was enough to pop the wheel out of the dropouts, meaning there was no immediate running. I managed to pop the brake and reset the wheel, but I definitely lost some good ground here.
I got rushing off again ASAP and it felt good to start passing other riders from my field right away. I started getting into a groove and slowly making up places for the next few laps, enjoying my lack of mechanicals even though I did manage to slide around a bit (too much air pressure!)
As race leader Steve Fisher flew past me, I jumped on his wheel and managed to get a great view on a very fast line through the first few corners of the course until he managed to pull away. As I hit the sand for the last lap I was passed by the only other rider to lap me, Russell Stevenson. I was on his tail for the next few corners, again getting a good view of a faster line.
We hit another tricky section and little bobble due to carelessness caused me some trouble as two riders who had been hanging on my wheel managed to squeeze past. I tried to chase them back down, but fatigue was definitely beginning to show. I got onto their wheels at the barriers only to loose them again. I caught them again in a few corners, and as we hit the pavement I jumped on the gas trying to get back in front, however I just missed them at the line, finishing 1 second back.
I ended up finishing a solid 25th out of the starting field of 36. A solid result, although again I feel like I could have been better if I had avoided some little blunders.
Next weekend is the double-header out in Bellingham, so I am ready to bring the speed and go for some solid results. Check back soon to see how things go.
Keep on riding friends.
September 25, 2013
Seattle CX 2013 #1 - McCollum Park
This past Sunday was the first race of the Seattle CX series for the year, and to make things interesting they used a brand new course. The weather was cloudy but dry for most of the day but the rain rolled in around noon, just as I was getting to the venue. The course was a mix of fast grass sections with some tricky off-camber sections and tied together with a run through the BMX park and on the opposite side of the course was a brief trip through the woods. A very large course, but with lots of fun little sections that kept you going full-steam and paying full attention to the course. The rain added an additional element by turning much of the course into deeper mud or slick grass.
While warming up and riding around the course in the rain, the layout was definitely going to keep your focus and use your handling skills. Shortly before the start of the Elite race though, the rain stopped and the ground started drying a little. This made for tacky, thick mud and would cause some trouble.
During the call-ups I ended up in the 3rd row of the 29 starters, so not that great, but I did set myself up behind Zack McDonald who is consistently fast. My plan paid off and I had a great start, hitting the first corner roughly around 10th. I was able to grab the wheels in front of me and hang with the lead group through the next few corners and into the BMX park. We then flew into the twisting off-camber back section and then dropped onto the asphalt and headed back toward the front of the course. I remained in great position as we entered the single-track forest and back onto the grass fields.
At this point I knew I was in great position and continued to work to stick onto the wheel in front of me, holding to a top spot. We hit the barriers and then swung back onto the front stretch to start the second lap. I managed to move up as a rider started to fade, however some other riders were still neck-to-neck with me, so there was no letting up.
We powered through the course again without incident, however just before the final corners, disaster struck. The thick mud had started coating my chain and it was enough to pop the chain of the chainring when I shifted down into the low gears to handle the tight corners. I jumped off to get the chain reset, but quickly lost 5-6 spots to the riders who were on my tail. I finally got going and started racing away, actually making up one of the spots again during the early section of the lap. I continued through the course and then coming into the same corner I dropped the chain again! Again riders went past and now I was getting quite frustrated, however I now figured out that the drop was only happening when I was in the lowest 2 gears. I continued racing along and trying to claw back my lost spots.
Through the next 4 laps, I only dropped the chain one more time as I accidently shifted into the low gear, but got back going much quicker now that I knew what was going on. During my final drop I ended up behind Zack who had now lapped me. I got a nice few corners on his wheel to see his lines before being back in my race to make up positions.
As I rolled across the finish line, I still felt great, ready for more laps. I ended up 25th, so far back, but not last. I was 9 minutes behind Zack, but was only lapped by the two leaders who are both Pros, so not terrible. I only wish I was able to use up some of the energy in holding onto a great spot further up the field, but at least I know that the mechanical was caused simply by the lack of a chain catcher on my bike. A cheap and easy fix, and then it will be back to me to make the race work. Time to get ready for Lake Sammamish next weekend, since I know I can do well there.
While warming up and riding around the course in the rain, the layout was definitely going to keep your focus and use your handling skills. Shortly before the start of the Elite race though, the rain stopped and the ground started drying a little. This made for tacky, thick mud and would cause some trouble.
September 18, 2013
Starcrossed 2013
Starcrossed 2013. Boom, done.
Starcrossed is the biggest cyclocross race out here in Washington, if for nothing else than the UCI Pro race at the end of the day. In addition to this, the course is usually very well laid out, the racing runs in the afternoon/evening, and the fields tend to be full of some of the best racers in the region.
As they were running the UCI Pros in the race, the organizers split the field into a 2/3 field and the Pro/1s, making for very tough races for both groups.
Coming off the BRUTAL race last week at Finn Hill, I was ready to do well. I had amped up my training program, and also made sure my body was ready for running at redline for an hour, that way I didn't run out of power like last race.
After getting warmed up and ready to race, I found out that I would be getting a front-line start! That should make a good difference, since there were 62 racers in my field, coupled with the single-speed racers that started in front of us (81 racers in that field!). There were going to be a TON of people on the course, so getting through the crowd early would help a lot.
The start was called and I managed a decent start, but entered the corner about 9th, so I still have work to do on my starts and make sure I get closer to the hole-shot. We were on the tails of the single-speed race almost immediately and I started cutting around the riders right away and worked along the outside of the course and into the infield of the velodrome.
After working through the infield and along the bank of the velodrome, we raced across the barriers in front of the beer garden and then out along the outside of the velodrome again before racing out into the pavement and then swinging back toward the start line.
Since we were racing with the Cat 3 field, the race was only 45 minutes instead of the hour we would usually be racing, and the time was slowly cranking by as we made the laps of the course. I continued to make headway through the singlespeeds but was slowly losing ground to other Cat 2s. The racing was still very close as we got into the final laps, and I found myself in a battle with Tyson, a racer I fought with last year before he upgraded. I hung onto his heels for the rest of the race, finally finishing in 18th place.
Not the finish I was hoping for with a front-row start, but not terrible considering the riders I was competing against. And the finishing was super close - I did finish 2 minutes back from the leader, but most of the riders were less than 45 seconds ahead. Big improvement compared to last week, and I am very happy to say that I finished in front of most of the racers I competed with every week last year. Now it is time to get ready for the rest of the season and make some forward progress.
After my race, I cleaned up and then watched the Pro ladies race while I ate dinner. The ladies race had a great group of racers, but once Gabbie Durrin got on front, she ended up pulling away from the rest of the field for the remainder of the race. She held this lead for the rest of the race and easily took the win in the end.
The Pro men offered a little more suspense, although again the field was stacked with talent. From the gun, the big names were up front - Trebon, Powers, Page, Berden, along with many other potent racers.
For the next few laps, racers were switching off the lead, pulling the others along and keeping the race super fast. As the race progressed, the lead group was formed of Powers, Trebon, Page, and Berden. They had grabbed a small advantage and run with it, and slowly stretched the lead as well. Finally, Page and Berden fell off the pace and Powers and Trebon continued to trade attacks and distance themselves from the field. Powers managed to lead the last lap and actually started to pull a small gap on Trebon as they headed into the infield. Trebon laid down the power and caught Powers' heels, but then lost it again and was unable to hang as Powers launched his final sprint and beat Trebon by multiple bike lengths. Not a bad way to start out the year, and I am sure the Rapha team is pleased to take both races here.
You can watch the BehindTheBarriers episode here. Special thanks to Woodinville Bicycles again for the great pictures from the event, and to MadFiber for the wheels, which continue to work admirably in the cross racing conditions this year.
Next Stop - Seattle CX #1
Starcrossed is the biggest cyclocross race out here in Washington, if for nothing else than the UCI Pro race at the end of the day. In addition to this, the course is usually very well laid out, the racing runs in the afternoon/evening, and the fields tend to be full of some of the best racers in the region.
As they were running the UCI Pros in the race, the organizers split the field into a 2/3 field and the Pro/1s, making for very tough races for both groups.
After working through the infield and along the bank of the velodrome, we raced across the barriers in front of the beer garden and then out along the outside of the velodrome again before racing out into the pavement and then swinging back toward the start line.
The Pro men offered a little more suspense, although again the field was stacked with talent. From the gun, the big names were up front - Trebon, Powers, Page, Berden, along with many other potent racers.
Next Stop - Seattle CX #1
September 10, 2013
MFG 2013 #1 - Big Finn Hill Park
Well, it is officially Cross season now! This past weekend was the 1st event of the MFG Cyclocross series out here in Washington, and despite the rain the past week, the event was dry and hot like usual. This year I am racing in the 1/2 field, so not only are the races longer, but also against a harder field.
As mentioned in my previous post, I am primarily racing a new bike this year - a Baron Nightingale CX. This event helped show me how good this machine will be for racing this year, however the race also showed me I have a lot of work to do this year!
I had a terrible start (mostly my fault for doing a practice lap) and ended up in the last row. We started with a rush and I managed to climb up a few spots as we moved into the field and started through the corners on the field. I jumped through the corners and made up spots as much as possible.
As we hit the bottleneck single-track section, I dismounted and managed to squeeze past a few more riders who were stuck dealing with the traffic.
Rushing through the course, I definitely started to feel the results of the heat and the work. As we made it to the lap count-down (about 30 minutes into the race), I was definitely slowing down. Luckily, most of the other riders were starting to run out of steam too. I was slowly making up ground as possible, but was very thankful for the final lap.
Putting everything I had left into the pedals, I raced through the last lap and managed to squeeze past one more rider before hitting the finish line.
Still ended up being further back than I wanted, finishing 31st of the 40 starters.
Time to re-focus, build up, and hit Starcrossed next weekend with full force!
As mentioned in my previous post, I am primarily racing a new bike this year - a Baron Nightingale CX. This event helped show me how good this machine will be for racing this year, however the race also showed me I have a lot of work to do this year!
As we hit the bottleneck single-track section, I dismounted and managed to squeeze past a few more riders who were stuck dealing with the traffic.
Time to re-focus, build up, and hit Starcrossed next weekend with full force!
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